When I was a kid I was never taught about god nor taught how to pray so when I 16 and my mom kicked me out I searched for god myself Im still learning a lot but I still don't pray out loud as I don't know how and my 3yr came to me and has been saying she has been having bad dreams almost every note so I told her to pray to god before she went to sleep and she asked me how do u pray well I'm not really sure except how I do it myself can somebody pls help me I need to help my little girl
Does she have a nightlight? At a certain point, I find night lights really helpful. Kids get scared of monsters and things, and light makes them more comfortable. Just a thought.
I would encourage her to talk to God like she would anyone else. To me prayer is an ongoing dialogue/ conversation between God and me so I just speak from my heart.For example, Hey God I am scared. Please help me feel better and safe. Please help me remember that You are with me even if I cannot see you. Thank you for giving me....(always good to include some mention of gratitude).
Blessings
Well, most prayers fall into 2 categories: thank you or help me.
Teach your little O. to say:
Dear God, thank you for this day, my mom, my dad, my dog, my house and my friends. Amen.
It doesn't have to be formal or fancy, I promise!
When I was in college our youth group learned how to do conversational prayer. We read a book about it. I still pray that way. It is having a conversation with God. I talk to him in the same way, using the same words I use with my friends. Prayer does not have to be formal.
You're over thinking this. When she's lying in bed and it's time to pray just say something like this:
Dear God, thank you so much for all the fun things we did today (name a couple of things) and the friends we played with or food we ate. Please help us to feel safe tonight, knowing you are watching over us, and help us to have a good sleep. Amen.
You can sit with her in bed or next to her bed. You might hold her hands or both of you hold your hands in a prayerful pose. Whatever works for you.
Pray with her. Show her. It can be "Now I lay me down to sleep" or "Dear Lord, thank you for our day. Amen." I think of it as a conversation. DD is 6 and still prefers me to hold her hand and say her "thank yous" to God. But she will now say her grace herself at dinner. But we prayed together or she watched me pray first.
If you Google "children's prayers" you will find lots of sites:
http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersverses/qt/childre...
I don't think there's a right way or a wrong way to pray. Some religions use specific prayers for specific requests, but all religions that I know of also use prayer as a way to communicate with God freely. Praying is just talking to God, saying what's on your mind and in your heart, as a way to find clarity.
Teach your child to talk to God through prayer, speaking freely from the heart, and you've done it right.
It's awesome that you are both reaching for Him right now. My own prayer life is conversational. Speak to Him as you would a friend. I will pray for you guys as well.
We're Catholic and our church offers a class for 3 1/2 - 6 year olds called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It introduced our dd to the more spiritual side and explained the rituals and things from mass. I loved it and so did she. Maybe you could join a church and look into classes for both of you? I attended my daughter's class with her as much as I could and it was nice.
Maybe start by saying grace over dinner every night. Praying is nothing fancy or eloquent, it's simply talking to God like you would have a conversation with anyone else. Then pray with her when you tuck her in. Thank God for all the good things that happened that day, to help anyone who needs something and heal anyone who is sick and to help us to remember to be good and to do what's right. It's like anything else, practice makes perfect and it will get easier the more you do it. Good luck!
A three yr old really doesn't know the difference between fantasy vs reality. This is developmental. As a parenting instructor, I can tell you that a 3 yr old usually thinks that if a person dies...S/he can wake up.
With that being said, a 3 yr old won't really know what praying is. But, you, as the parent are the "teacher" to guide her. It is your "job" to model praying.
One month, my child lined up stuffed animals...We thanked God for bunny, monkey, dog, etc...and then said goodnight and sweet dreams to "them."
The next month, we would thank God for the bed, the curtains, for Daddy, for Grandma, etc...
A cute one we made up yrs and yrs ago: Dear God, Thank you for my food, my healthy body and for my family. Amen.
Right before a meal: Bless this food. Amen.
Because your child is 3, keep it simple.
The bad dreams could be developmental. Also, make sure she isn't viewing violence on tv/commercials. I never watched the news until the kids were asleep.
A short prayer before dinner---and before bed !!!
When I was 5 / Kindergarten, I attended religious classes. I learned more about God, did religious crafts, met new friends, said prayers, etc...
Tell her to imagine someone kind who loves her, then ask them to protect her while she sleeps.
Kind of like making a wish.
Enroll her in a Sunday School class and aid that with you both on your knees at night and in the morning thanking Him.
